1999 – on Nitro, the WCW Television Title is abandoned when champion Scott Hall throws the belt into a trashcan. Also, Juventud Guerrera defeats Jushin Thunder Liger to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title

Firstly, in 1998, British star Giant Haystacks died at the age of 52. Haystacks initially competed as Luke McMasters, before becoming Haystacks Calhoun (in homage to American star William Calhoun) and subsequently Giant Haystacks. He debuted in 1967, but didn’t find fame until his TV debut in 1975. Initially, he and Big Daddy were a heel tag team who would dominate their opponents, but Daddy would soon turn face, and the duo began what is perhaps the UK’s best-remembered feud, lasting on-and-off until 1993. Fights between the pair were often the highest rated shows on ITV that week. In the 1990’s, he also appeared in North America as ‘Loch Ness’, but was diagnosed with cancer soon after debuting for WCW and returned to England, where he succumbed after a lengthy battle with the disease

Secondly, in 2003, one-time WWF Tag Team Champion Larry ‘Moondog Spot’ Booker died aged 51. Booker began his career in the Gulf Coast, wrestling as Larry Latham. He also regularly appeared in Memphis and Mid-South in his early career. He gained recognition in the mid-to-late 70’s as part of the revived Blond Bombers alongside Wayne Farris. The pair became arguably the most popular tag team in the southern states before they split in 1980. Booker soon resurfaced in a new wildman gimmick, calling himself a Moondog. As Moondog Spot, he would win the WWF Tag Team Titles in 1981, aswell as wrestling on the first WWF PPV event, ‘The Wrestling Classic’. However, he was never a WWF regular, competing primarily in Memphis. He remained active into the 2000’s, competing several times in the early days of TNA. Sadly, Booker became one of several wrestlers who have died in the ring; he suddenly collapsed during a match in Memphis and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. It was later determined that he had suffered a heart attack.